Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to apparatus for cleaning a swimming pool, and, more specifically, to an automatic electric top bottom swimming pool cleaner with internal pumps.
Related Art
Swimming pools generally require a certain amount of maintenance. Beyond the treatment and filtration of pool water, the walls of the pool should be scrubbed regularly. Further, leaves and various debris can float on the surface of the pool water, which should be removed regularly. This means that a pool cleaner should be capable of cleaning both the walls of the pool as well as the surface of the pool water. Alternatively, two separate cleaning apparatus would be required, or conventional means of handheld cleaning must be employed.
Swimming pool cleaners adapted to rise proximate a water surface of a pool for removing floating debris therefrom and to descend proximate to a wall surface of the pool for removing debris therefrom are known in the art. These “top-bottom” cleaners are often pressure-type or positive pressure pool cleaners that require a source of pressurized water to be in communication therewith. This source of pressurized water could include a booster pump or pool filtration system. Generally, this requires a hose running from the pump or system to the cleaner head.
Robotic cleaners have been developed to routinely navigate about the pool walls, cleaning as they go. Robotic cleaners do not require an external filtration system to be running or connected thereto. Instead, a pumping system, utilizing a large propeller style impeller continuously circulates a large quantity of water to produce the required suction to remove debris from the pool floor. This water is further circulated through an internal filter assembly capturing debris therein. This pumping system results in a substantial reduction in operating costs compared to a cleaner that must be connected to a pool filtration system. A rotating cylindrical roller (formed of foam and/or provided with a brush) can be included on the bottom of the unit to scrub the pool walls. Electric pool cleaners often do not require an external source of pressurized water for propulsion purposes. Instead, electric pool cleaners generally include a drive system that can operate drive tracks or wheels associated with the cleaner, causing the cleaner to traverse the bottom surface of the pool floor.
Accordingly, there is a need for a pool cleaner that is capable of cleaning both the pool water surface and the pool walls, and does not require an external source of pressurized water.